Homeland Security Act of 2002: Updated Through October 14, 2008

The "Homeland Security Act of 2002" is legislation enacted in November 2002 following the September 11 attacks and anthrax mailings. This sweeping federal reorganization created the Department of Homeland Security and a new cabinet position, marking the largest government restructuring since 1947. The Act consolidated numerous agencies—including Customs Service, Coast Guard, and Secret Service—under one department, establishing new protocols for border security, emergency response, and infrastructure protection while balancing counterterrorism efforts with existing law enforcement jurisdictions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)